We had 200 children counting on us last year, and we were thrilled to be able to offer them a winter break bag unlike any we had ever done. Last year our Winter Break Bags included:

– 7 breakfasts

– 7 lunches

– a coupon for half-gallon of white milk at a local grocer

– a handmade card, drawn by a child for a child

NEW for 2020:

– an entire bag of fresh fruit from a local orchard

– a bag of fresh cheese sticks and fresh beef sticks from Wisconsin River Meats

– a child-friendly cookbook

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to support the local farmers and community, and purchased as much as we could through them.

We handed out cookbooks both to educate our students about food and healthy eating, and also to encourage them to start making healthy foods on their own (as age-/ ability-appropriate). A lot of the adults we encounter in our work either don’t have basic cooking knowledge, or comfort in the kitchen, even when a lack of time is not a factor. We wanted to help break this cycle for our students, and hope they will carry the cooking skills they learn and healthy habits they develop with them as they grow into adulthood. We offered one cookbook for pre-school and elementary students, and one for middle and high school students.